Portable Monitoring Devices and Methods of Operating Same

1. A portable monitoring device to calculate calorie burn of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising: a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user; a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user; an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of an amount of altitude change of the user; and processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, configured to: calculate slope over an interval traveled by the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user, calculate a first calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on the data which is representative of the motion of the user, calculate a second calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on the multiplication of the slope by a multiplication factor such that the multiplication factor is decreased in value when (a) the slope is determined to be negative and (b) the absolute value of the slope is determined to have exceeded a first threshold slope amount, wherein the decrease in value is with respect to the value of the multiplication factor under conditions where the slope is determined to be negative and determined to have an absolute value less than the first threshold slope amount, and calculate a third calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on the addition of the first calorie burn to the second calorie burn.

2. The portable monitoring device of claim 1 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output the third calorie burn.

3. The portable monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user when the data which is representative of the motion of the user exceeds a first threshold and the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user exceeds a second threshold.

4. The portable monitoring device of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate data which is representative of an accumulation of amounts of elevation change of the user by summing the data which is representative of amounts of elevation change of the user in response to detecting a predetermined motion of the user based on the data which is representative of the motion of the user.

5. The portable monitoring device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate an altitude metric using the data which is representative of the accumulation of amounts of elevation change of the user.

6. The portable monitoring device of claim 5 , wherein the altitude metric includes a number of stairs and/or a number of flights of stairs.

7. The portable monitoring device of claim 6 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output the altitude metric.

8. The portable monitoring device of claim 4 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, and wherein: the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate data which is representative of an increase and/or decrease in elevation for a given time period using the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user, and the display outputs the data which is representative of (i) the increase and/or decrease in elevation for a given time period, and (ii) the third calorie burn.

9. The portable monitoring device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate the second calorie burn based at least in part on a term that is a continuous function of the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change.

10. The portable monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is a pedometer and wherein the altitude sensor is sampled based at least in part on data which is representative of determining a step by the user.

11. A portable monitoring device to calculate calorie burn of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising: a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user; a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user; an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of an amount of altitude change of the user; and processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, configured to: calculate slope over an interval traveled by the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user, calculate a speed of the user over the interval based at least in part on the data which is representative of the motion of the user, calculate a first calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user, (ii) the multiplication of the slope by a multiplication factor such that the multiplication factor is decreased in value when (a) the slope is determined to be negative and (b) the absolute value of the slope is determined to have exceeded a first threshold slope amount, wherein the decrease in value is with respect to the value of the multiplication factor under conditions where the slope is determined to be negative and determined to have an absolute value less than the first threshold slope amount, and (iii) the speed of the user.

12. The portable monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate: an activity state of the user using data which is representative of an ambulatory speed of the user; and a second calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user, (ii) the speed of the user, and (iii) the activity state of the user.

13. The portable monitoring device of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the activity state of the user based at least in part on input data or an input instruction.

14. The portable monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user; and calculate an altitude metric based at least in part on the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user.

15. The portable monitoring device of claim 14 , wherein the altitude metric includes a number of stairs and/or a number of flights of stairs.

16. The portable monitoring device of claim 15 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output the altitude metric.

17. The portable monitoring device of claim 14 , further including circuitry, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of: (i) the altitude metric and (ii) the calorie burn.

18. The portable monitoring device of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the amount of elevation change of the user when (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user exceeds a first threshold and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user exceeds a second threshold.

19. The portable monitoring device of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to correlate the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user to a number of stairs and/or a number of flights of stairs.

20. The portable monitoring device of claim 14 , further including a display that is coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein: the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate data which is representative of an increase and/or decrease in elevation for a given time period using the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user; and the display outputs the data which is representative of the increase and/or decrease in elevation.

21. The portable monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user; and calculate data which is representative of an accumulation of amounts of elevation change of the user by summing data which is representative of amounts of elevation change of the user in response to detecting a predetermined motion of the user based on the data which is representative of the motion of the user.

22. A portable monitoring device to calculate calorie burn of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising: a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user; a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user; an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of an amount of altitude change of the user; and processing circuitry, disposed in and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, configured to: calculate slope over an interval traveled by the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user, calculate an activity state of the user over the interval based at least in part on the data which is representative of the motion of the user, calculate calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user, (ii) the activity state, and (iii) the multiplication of the slope by a multiplication factor such that the multiplication factor is decreased in value when (a) the slope is determined to be negative and (b) the absolute value of the slope is determined to have exceeded a first threshold slope amount, wherein the decrease in value is with respect to the value of the multiplication factor under conditions where the slope is determined to be negative and determined to have an absolute value less than the first threshold slope amount.

23. The portable monitoring device of claim 22 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the activity state of the user based on input data and/or an input instruction.

24. The portable monitoring device of claim 22 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user; and calculate an altitude metric based on the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user and the data which is representative of the motion of the user.

25. The portable monitoring device of claim 24 , wherein the altitude metric is representative of a number of stairs and/or flights of stairs traversed by the user.

26. The portable monitoring device of claim 24 , further including circuitry, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of: (i) the altitude metric and (ii) the calorie burn.

27. The portable monitoring device of claim 24 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output the altitude metric and the calorie burn.

28. The portable monitoring device of claim 24 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the amount of elevation change of the user when (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user exceeds a first threshold and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user exceeds a second threshold.

29. The portable monitoring device of claim 22 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user; and calculate data which is representative of an accumulation of amounts of elevation change of the user by summing data which is representative of amounts of elevation change of the user in response to detecting a predetermined motion of the user based on the data which is representative of the motion of the user.

30. The portable monitoring device of claim 22 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user; and correlate the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user to a number of stairs and/or a number of flights of stairs.

31. The portable monitoring device of claim 22 , further including a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, and wherein: the processing circuitry is further configured to: calculate data which is representative of an amount of elevation change of the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user, and calculate data which is representative of an increase and/or decrease in elevation for a given time period based at least in part on the data which is representative of the amount of elevation change of the user and the data which is representative of the motion of the user; and the display outputs the data which is representative of the increase and/or decrease in elevation.